As the second book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, “The Pirate Bride” proved to be even more engaging and intriguing than “The Mayflower Bride.” This series is interesting in that it chronicles pivotal points in history from a Christian perspective, with each installment written by a different author. This arrangement keeps the volumes fresh, avoiding the repetitious pattern that could otherwise easily result. “The Pirate Bride” goes a step further and adopts a perhaps unconventional approach to what is obviously a romance, introducing the heroine—Maribel Cordoba—when she is only eleven. Her story begins aboard a ship in the Caribbean in 1724, and her fateful encounter with the privateer Jean-Luc Valmont has implications that travel far beyond that time and place.
Indeed, Maribel’s somewhat eccentric character—being rather unladylike for the time—continues into young womanhood as the narrative shifts to 1735 for the second half of the novel. Part of what drew me to Maribel’s character was her love of reading and books, which was not common during the eighteenth century, as well as her indomitable spirit. Her journey is a unique one, offering a glimpse of maritime, convent, and domestic life in and around the Caribbean. The story, as such, presents a distinctive narrative with gentle Christian undertones. How the characters’ lives connect and weave together demonstrates Kathleen Y’Barbo’s creative skill, with the romance itself playing out toward the novel’s closing. “The Pirate Bride” is a fascinating work of fiction with plenty of adventure and novelty sure to delight and entertain.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
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